Buckle for harness



No. 623,704. Patented Apr. l25, |899.

w. G. DAvls.

BUCKLE FOR HARNESS.

(Application filed Apr. 14, 1898,)

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Nrrn raras VVILBUR G. DAVIS, OF CONCORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

BUCKLE FOR HARNESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 623,704, dated April 25, 1899.

Application filed April 14, 1898- To IJ/Z whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILBUR G. DAVIS, of

Concord, coun ty of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Single Harness, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for .its object the production of a very strong, simple, and convenient buckle particularly adapted for use with harness.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front ends of a pair of shafts with a harness applied thereto having buckles embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan View of the novel form of buckle which'I have devised, shown in Fig. l as employed for detachably connecting the breast-collar and draft members; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the breast-collar and draft member with the buckle in side elevation.

In my present invention I have departed entirely from the usual and Well-known form of tongue-buckle, as will fully appear hereinafter.

The harness, as shown in Fig. l and with which I have chosen to illustrate my novel buckle, comprises a saddle having attached shaft-tugs for the reception of the shafts a and a breast-collar detachably connected by my novel buckles with the draft members or traces. The flexible ends or straps a5 of the draft members, shown as extended into hollow shaft-tips CL3, have each a hole 3 therein, Figs. l, 2, and 3, to receive the holding or retaining prong of the buckle on the breast-collar B. This breast-collar is adapted to be detachably connected With the draft members, and for this purpose my novel form of buckle is particularly adapted, the buckle comprising two separable members l) b', hinged together at b2, with aholding-prong h3 on one member adapted to be locked to the other member. Herein I have shown the member b as a flat plate of steel provided with an upright rigid holding-prong h3, provided, as shown in Fig. 3, with two annular grooves or recesses 4 and 5 and having a rounded laterally extended head 6. The member h is shown as made of a single piece Serial No. 677,600. (No model.)

of sti spring metal bent or shaped into loop form, the straight bar b2 at the wide end of the loop being preferably rounded between its ends, as at h4, to form a hinge-joint between the two members b and t', a U-shaped clip b5, attached to the former, embracing the rounded part of the bar b2. The free ends of the loop-like member b are brought together at b, each end having its inner face recessed, as at 197, Fig. 2, so that the two registering recesses form a spring clip or catch to receive and tightly embrace the holding-prong, the head 6 of thelatter preventing accidental disengagement of the catch. I have shown the base plate or member b as embedded in the leather forming the breast-collar B, with the holding-prong b3 extended through and beyond the outer face thereof, and the sides of the loop-like member b' straddle the latter, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The strap end a5 of the draft member is passed through a box-loop B' at the end of the breast collar, and the prong b3 is passed through the hole 3 in the strap co5, the free end of the latter passing through the loop or Open member b', and the latter is then turned down and locked in place upon the prong, as in Fig. 3.

When it is desired to detach the breast-collar from the draft member, the operator will preferably insert his fingers between the collar and the strap a5 and Will pull the latter outward to thereby raise the member b of the buckle from engagement with the prong, (see dotted-line position, Fig. 3,) the increased leverage thus gained materially assisting in the disengagement, as the spring-catch is purposely made stiff and strong.

The construction of the buckle is such that it can be manipulated with one hand, and after it is unlocked the strap is not detached from the holding-prong until it is posi-tively removed therefrom.

From an inspection of Figs. 2 and 3 it will be obvious that the buckle is very strong and adapted to successfully resist a great strain without damage.

Referring to Fig. 2, one of the free ends, h6, of the loop member of the buckle has a lateral counterbored hole 33 (see dotted lines) to receive loosely a headed pin 35, which is tapped into the opposite end b of the loop, the conne IOO terbore permitting free movement of the head of the pin, the latter serving to positively limit the extent of lateral separation of the ends of the loop and insure bodily movement of the ends in unison.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A buckle comprising hinged members, an upright holding-prong on one of said members, a spring-lock having laterally-separable portions on the other member, to engage and tightly embrace the prong and retain the members from separation, and a stop to limit the separation of the spring portions of the look, substantially as described.

2. A buckle comprising an attaching member having an upright, headed holdingprong provided with two annular recesses, a coperating lloop-like member hinged to the attaching member and having a locking device to directly engage the upper recess of the holding-prong below its head and prevent separation of the members, the lower recess being adapted to engage the free end of the strap, substantially as described.

A buckle comprising an attaching member having an upright, headed holding-prong, and a cooperating loop-like member pivotally connected at the enlarged back of the loop with the attaching member, and having laterally-separable spring ends recessed near their extremities to receive and directly engage the holdin g-prong and thereby lock the two members from separation, substantially as described.

4. A buckle comprising an attaching member having an upright holding-prong, a coperating loop-like member having a straight portion forming its closed back and hinged thereat to the attaching member, the adjacent free, and laterally-separable spring ends of the loops being recessed to receive and tightly embrace the holding-prong, to thereby form a lock for and prevent separation of the two members.

5. A buckle comprising an attaching member having an upright holding-prong, a coperating loop-like member having its free spring ends brought together and recessed on their inner sides to receive and tightly embrace the holdin g-prong, the loop beingbroadened beyond the spring ends to receive the free end of the strap, and pivotally connected at its broadest portion with the attaching member, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

VILBUR G. DAVIS.

Y Witnesses:

LAURA MANIX, FREDERICK L. EMERY. 

